Unconditional
by xXGagaGirlXx
Summary: “Why’re your eyes all puffy and red then?” Cliff challenged her. “Poked myself in the eye.” It seemed plausible. “What both of them?” with her track record that also seemed plausible.


**A/N: I'm in a Jovi and Cliff mood so you all must endure my rambling drabbles. I'm sorry! This one is back to post-musical, to once again ease any confusion. Reads/reviews appreciated. Nothing belongs to me except Jovi and even she's tried running away on numerous occasions *tightens leash***

**Much love x**

"What's up Pumpkin?" Cliff ruffled Jovi's already tangled mess of hair with a smile. Jovi, whose bottom lip was protruding slightly into a pout, looked up at him from the bar that she'd been leaning on with a sulky stare. Cliff's pet name was usually in reference to her burnt orange coloured hair but her eyes were so puffy today that he could have quite easily been teasing her about that as well.

"Have you been crying?" he asked her, referring not only to her swollen eyes but also to the eyeliner ('why was she wearing eyeliner?' he wondered) that had smudged down her face.

"No." Jovi spoke into her half empty glass as she pretending to take a sip.

"Why're your eyes all puffy and red then?" Cliff challenged her, leaning across the bar and pushing an empty glass up underneath the vodka optic.

"Poked myself in the eye."

It seemed plausible. "What both of them?" with her track record that also seemed plausible.

"Shutup." Jovi knocked back the last dregs of her drink and slammed the glass down onto the wooden bar.

They sat in silence for a while, though Jovi could feel Cliff's eyes watching her. Her mouth twitched as she bit at the inside of her cheek and her fingers fiddled uncomfortably with a stray beer mat.

"Cliff?" her voice went up at the end of his name as it always did when she was asking him something that puzzled her. "Do I annoy you?"

Cliff mulled her question over for a few moments, "Without a doubt."

It hadn't been the answer Jovi had been looking for. "Oh." She replied, feeling her eyes prickle again.

"You're the most irritating person I know- you break my things, steal my vodka, talk way too much- even for a girl, refuse to understand the concept of 'alone-time' and when you're upset you just act all vague instead of telling me what's wrong… like now." He thought for a moment and then added, "And you can't hold your drink which makes you terrible company when alcohol is on the agenda."

Jovi pursed her lips and glared at him.

"Doesn' matter though." Cliff shrugged, filling both of their glasses once more from the optic and sliding them along the bar. "'Cause when you're not being annoying, you're quite nice to be with, I suppose."

"You suppose?" Jovi arched an eyebrow and licked a drip from the side of her glass.

"Yeah…" Cliff drifted off, staring happily into his drink. "And there's that whole unconditional love thing. That's a bit of a pain in the arse."

"What do you mean?" Jovi mumbled.

"Well," Cliff exhaled a quick burst of breath as if all this talking was taking an awful lot of effort. "When you started following me around four years ago I put up with you 'cause I didn't have anything else to do. And then by some crazy mishap I actually started to like you and now I suppose you're my friend- which means I love you, even when you piss me off."

It was the most Jovi had ever heard Cliff say in one sentence and she knew that there was some sentiment in there somewhere. She made a sympathetic face at him and giggled. "Well thanks dude."

Cliff gave a sleepy smile and kissed her on the forehead, "No problem Jovi."

The two sat in silence once again, as Cliff watched Jovi once again begin to twitch he asked her, "It's Aretha, isn't it?" she nodded slowly, "Do you love her?"

"I think I do." Jovi decided, feeling her throat tighten.

"Then I wouldn't worry- whatever it is you fought about, you've screwed her over with this unconditional love thing too, so she'll forgive you again soon enough."

"I guess." Jovi sighed.

"And if she doesn't, we'll draw on her while she's sleeping and cut her hair off."

"Why?"

Cliff shrugged nonchalantly, "Just gives us something to do with our day, I suppose."


End file.
